Cool down is a must

Press, 8 October 1987, Page 9

Cool down is a must

JUDI

SHEPPARD MISSETT

Q: Why is cooling down after a workout so important? It Just seems like a waste of time to me. A: During a workout your heart rate increases, which causes your blood to move through your body at a rapid rate to supply your muscles with oxygen. According to Dr Kenneth Cooper, if you stop vigorous exercise suddenly, your blood collects in the vessels below your waist. Also known as the "pooling effect,” this dis-! tribution of blood can cause your blood pressure to drop because too little blood is getting to your heart Faintness, unconsciousness and, in extreme cases, death can be the result. A Harvard study has shown that our bodies react to a drop in blood pressure by secreting 10 times the normal amount of norepinephrine — a hormone that constricts blood vessels and forces blood pressure up. For some people, such high levels of norepinephrine can be toxic, causing cardiac problems. For these reasons, everyone should allow his or her heart rate to drop gradually after a vigorous workout. Move around for at least five minutes, with gentle movements such as the cool-down routine below, until your pulse drops below 120 beats per ■ minutes. Q. How' healthful Is deer meat? We’ve got a freezer full of it, but if it’s as fatty as beef Fm going to start giving it away. All the exercise deer get. does not, go for nothing. .The 'anlmals are considerably leaner than cattle, which jare en-

couraged to be inactive to increase yield. Comparable cuts of venison and beef weigh in at about 31 per cent and 47 per cent fat respectively, so you’ve got a freezer full of lean protein, indeed. Venison compares favourably even, with chicken, which, depending on how you cook if, ranges between about 25 per cent and 40 per cent,fat , '

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